LSU Tigers

LSU Tigers

Player News

Rotoworld's Thor Nystrom writes that LSU RB Derrius Guice "[s]eems like a player who’d have been drafted higher a decade ago."

"I just assumed I’d rank him as RB2 behind Barkley, which is where most others have him, but I found myself underwhelmed," Nystrom wrote of his tape study of the 5-foot-11, 216-pounder. While Guice brings plenty of thump and power to the table, the analyst was less impressed by his speed as well as his ability as a pass-catcher. Nystrom ranks him as the No. 4 running back prospect in this class. The NFL Scouting Combine figures to be a crucial stage for Guice. We do not view him as a guaranteed first-round selection.

LSU CB Donte Jackson said that he is hoping to beat former Washington WR John Ross' record 40-yard dash time of 4.22 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Ross toppled a record held by Chris Johnson (4.24 seconds) since 2008 when he blazed through the 40 last spring. Jackson is hopeful that Ross won't be holding that record for too much longer. The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder indicated that he's been clocked as fast as Johnson's 4.24 seconds in training. He'll have a chance to make history come March 5. A Day 1 selection for the draft is not out of the realm of possibility, here.

Wow. Williams didn't get a chance to shine playing being Jaguars star RB Leonard Fournette and likely first-round pick Derrius Guice, but he has shown flashes of brilliance in his time at LSU, and he received positive reviews at the Senior Bowl. "He’s a big-bodied back with a tremendous burst and great short-area quickness. Besides grinding on the inside, Williams shows the ability to pick up big yardage from the line of scrimmage," Pauline writes. "Williams could be the Kareem Hunt of 2018."

One NFC Director of Scouting pointed out seven of Arden Key's 15 sacks over the last two seasons were a product of not facing off against an offensive tackle.

This is likely somewhat common, as edge rushers face tight ends, running backs and even go unblocked in some situations. Key's final season with a bit of a mess after missing a huge portion of the offseason due to shoulder surgery and taking some time away from the team. Each team will have a different comfort level with Key.

Lewis (6'3/320) was additionally considering South Carolina, Kentucky, Ole Miss, West Virginia, all of whom he took official visits to during the fall. He received little FBS interest coming out of high school in 2016, hence why he initially decided to boot up his collegiate career at Northwest Mississippi Community College. LSU already houses a pair of starting guards in Garrett Brumfield and Ed Ingram, but Lewis' signing helps pad out the depth. He can occasionally have issues off the snap and needs to continue to hone his footwork and hand placement if he's to see legitimate work as a rotational piece in 2018.

LSU OC Steve Ensminger said that freshman WR Terrace Marshall Jr. has a chance to play a role in 2018.

Marshall (6'4/190) was a five-star recruit in the 2018 class and inked up with the Tigers back in December. Said Ensminger when asked about the wideout potentially playing early, "I think he has the talent to do that, no doubt about it." The coordinator indicated that LSU's wideouts will be eased into the new post-Matt Canada offense in the early going.

LSU OC Steve Ensminger said that sophomore QB Myles Brennan will open spring practice taking reps with the first-team offense.

While Ensminger said that Brennan will receive the initial first-team snaps with the team this spring, this is far from an open/shut job for the sophomore. Lowell Narcisse and Justin McMillan should both receive their fair share of reps, too, and the competition may well stretch into August unless somebody jumps up early. For his part, the 6-foot-4, 193-pound Brennan completed 14-of-24 passes for 182 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in limited opportunities as a true freshman during the 2017 campaign. He was a four-star recruit coming out of high school last winter.

The Advocate's Ross Dellenger reports that LSU has hired former Florida State strength coach Vic Viloria.

Viloria served as strength coach with the Seminoles for the past eight seasons, but was shown the door after Willie Taggart came on as head coach earlier this winter. Football Scoop reported near the end of January that Viloria was interviewing with the Tigers. At LSU, he'll work as an assistant to head strength coach Tommy Moffitt.

Busch, 52, has been with Rutgers for the past two seasons. He's previously worked with Tigers DC Dave Aranda at Utah State (2012) and Wisconsin (2013-14). For his work during the 2012 campaign, he was named Football Scoop's Defensive Backs Coach of the Year.

Chase (6'2/195) was also considering Auburn for his future, but it's the Tigers who come away with the wideout. For real. Chase's recruitment has been as twisting and uncertain as that of any player in the country. He had spent time previously as a commit to both Kansas and Florida and also almost pledged himself to TCU at one point. He'll likely begin his career with LSU as a special teams piece.

While it's unknown exactly what role Schwanz will play for the Tigers, Football Scoop expects him to serve as an analyst. He's been on staff at Southeastern Louisiana for the past four years. In terms of previous FBS experience, he has worked as a graduate assistant at both Wisconsin and UTEP.

Bleacher Report's David Kenyon lists LSU as one of the schools that needs to close strong in their recruiting class.

LSU certainly has a quality class right now, ranking 13th in Bleacher Report's ranking. Kenyon notes that not finishing strong, however, means losing key targets to other schools. "Patrick Surtain Jr., a 5-star cornerback and the highest-rated uncommitted player, has several finalists but is considering Alabama. Receiver JaMarr Chase, a 4-star recruit, visited Auburn in mid-January, and 4-star athlete Mario Goodrich went to Georgia," Kenyon writes. "Plus, the coaches are also working to sign committed 4-star safety Kelvin Joseph and add 4-star quarterback James Foster." LSU will be one of the key schools to follow over the coming days -- especially on Wednesday.

NJ.com writer Connor Hughes wonders if LSU edge rusher Arden Key could be a fit for the New York Jets.

The Jets pick sixth in the 2018 draft, and unless Key tests through the roof, it's tough to see the former LSU defender going that high. If the Jets traded down -- or possibly up from their second round selection -- this could make a lot of sense. As Hughes notes, Key was a monster in his sophomore season with 11 sacks, so you'd be betting on the defender returning to form. If he can, he'd be a steal near the bottom of the first/top of the second round.

Moore (6'5/250) comes via Copiah-Lincoln Community College. He has an Arden Key-like frame, and indeed, Moore will likely compete for the vacancy left by Key's departure for the NFL. "Moore is a rangy hybrid edge defender that can be a disruptive presence and a factor in pursuit," remarked his ESPN scouting report. "Still has upside with further physical development." He is expected to enroll for the spring.

Chase (6'2/195) has cleared the deck on what's been a wide-ranging recruitment which saw him to commit to Kansas and Florida at various times, with TCU and Michigan also contenders for his pledge before he tightened his list down to Auburn and LSU this month. Given that he has yet to even visit Auburn -- that could happen this coming weekend -- LSU should be considered the likely combatant to earn his signature come National Signing Day next Wednesday. Once he joins his team-to-be, he could potentially see early work on special teams during the 2018 season as he learns the offensive ropes.